Oath
by Xayden
Summary: A friend who was bound to Kakashi's side due to an oath he made to Sakumo as a child. Ryosuke has stayed dutifully by Kakashi's side for his entire life, determined to show Kakashi that there is a life to be had even after all of the tragedy he has faced. (Kakashi x Male! Oc)
1. Chapter 1

"It is very nice to meet both of you. I couldn't help but notice just how adorable your son is. I hope that he and my Kakashi can be the best of friends someday." Golden eyes would lift from the ground to meet the black of the older man that stood before him, a curious look being present in the child's eyes before his gaze would move to meet the gaze of this Kakashi, eyes widening and cheeks darkening in a blush as he noticed the boy staring at him a bit too intensely for his liking and immediately he would duck to hide behind his mother, something that greatly amused the sadistic woman along with his father.

"Oh? I would love that but you see our cute little boy is just so shy. If people want to be his friend they have to be very patient with him and they can't be afraid to push him into being their friends." Her words were enough to win her a betrayed look from her son which caused her to laugh before she would step away from him, taking away his hiding place in the process and in that moment the one called Kakashi would confidently step towards him before speaking to him.

"You are so timid I don't know how you expect to be a good ninja with a personality like that. You should stay by my side just in case so I can protect you in case anyone tries to target you and hurt you." Kakashi's words were more than enough to cause any traces of shyness to leave the boy as he would gape at him for a moment, clearly stunned by his words before his shyness would vanish almost instantly as that gaze would narrow slightly as an almost annoyed smile would cross the boy's lips, those features becoming tinged with a false sort of politeness even as those golden eyes darkened.

"You are not very nice Kakashi. I heard what you said about that boy not making it into the academy earlier and I don't want to be friends with someone who picks on other people! I want to become a strong ninja so I can protect the village! Maybe one day I will even become an Anbu and protect the Hokage just like Akira-sama does! I can't do any of that if I'm friends with such a mean person. So thank you but no thank you!" With that said the young boy would turn on his heels in order to start heading away from the boy, ignoring the adults that looked at him in complete surprise after having turned down the boy's offer of friendship and as the Yotsuki adults would hurry after their child, Kakashi could only watch after them with a stunned expression on his face before Sakumo would sigh.

"Kakashi, the next time you want to to make friends with someone maybe you should not let them know how you feel about their personality impacting their ninja career. While I think it is adorable how honest you are, other people do not find it as endearing as I do." The man would give his son a sheepish smile as the boy would turn to fix his father with a very unamused look on his face.

Now he told him.

* * *

Their time together in the academy was not much better despite the various attempts Kakashi made to befriend the young Ryosuke. It seemed as though he was simply doomed to make a bad impression on the young Yotsuki male every single time they interacted with one another. On this particular day, he had mentioned how Ryosuke's choice to grow out his hair and his new choice in outfit made him look even prettier than some of the kunoichi in their class, though the way he had worded his attempted compliment made it sound as though he was poking fun at the boy for being girly.

Needless to say, he was not very pleased with him after that.

Ryosuke sat on the other side of the classroom, seething with flushed cheeks as he would mutter soft curses under his breath while sending a very dark look towards Kakashi, something that greatly amused Genma who was sitting dutifully next to his best friend with a smirk tugging at his lips. "You do know that he likes you right? He's just trying to be your friend and he's just so innately bad at trying to socialize that he doesn't know what to say to you. It's kind of refreshing to see the genius actually be bad at something for once." His words were enough to make Ryosuke pout softly, an action that looked so cute on the golden-eyed male that he was seriously confused about why the boy wasn't more popular amongst their classmates.

He was adorable.

It was then that someone would approach the two of them and Ryosuke would look up with a confused expression only for his face to fall when he saw it was none other than Kakashi and with a sigh, he would turn around to face forward that pout magnifying as he tried his best to ignore the boy that had been antagonizing him unintentionally since the day they had met. "Go away Kakashi. I don't want to talk to you. You're a bully and I will have nothing to do with you."

"Ryosuke I just wanted to say that I'm sorry. I know I haven't been nice to you but I'm not trying to be mean. I just- I can't come up with the right words around you for some reason. I only want to be your friend. Nothing more. Can we start over?" Ryosuke would glance at him out of the corner of his eye with a suspicious look as he tried to see if this was some sort of trick or trap that Kakashi was using in an attempt to get him to lower his guard around him, eyes narrowing slightly before he would release a sigh as he saw the hopeful look in that eye.

"If this is some kind of trap or prank I swear that I will never talk to you again Kakashi." His eyes would narrow darkly in warning before watching as he would immediately nod in agreement with that visible eye widening in agreement. "Then I guess we can be friends. Though Genma here is my best friend so you'll just have to settle for being a normal friend, okay?" It was obvious that the white-haired boy did not like having to settle for second place if the way his eye narrowed as he looked over at Genma was anything to go by but he would simply sigh before nodding in agreement.

Good.

* * *

It would be a few days after Kakashi had come to him that it was announced that there was going to be some sort of ninjutsu contest for the youth and while he had no intentions of participating himself due to the destructive nature of his lava release and his lack of complete control over his budding magma armor he wanted to see just how far his fellow shinobi had come along with their talents. After a lot of pleading on his part and a promise of treating the grumpy boy to dumplings, he had even managed to convince Genma to come along and watch with him.

"I don't know why you wanted to come so badly. It's nothing different than the things we see every day at the academy Ryo." Genma would mutter softly before fixing his best friend with an annoyed look as he would ignore his protesting to gasp in awe when Obito would go up to reveal his fire jutsu, somehow managing to compress it enough so it was safe for the audience to watch.

"I wish I was able to control my Lava release like that. More often than not I end up destroying things because of how hard it is to properly control. My father says that it's normal because of how difficult it is to control lava but I still feel like I'm getting nowhere." Ryosuke would murmur softly with a downcast expression up until he felt a hand running through his hair, ruffling it and as he would look up in shock, his eyes would widen to see a smirking Genma.

"Don't look so sad. It doesn't suit you Ryo. You're one of the smartest people I know so you'll get the hang of it soon. I know you will." That was enough to make Ryosuke smile brightly up at Genma before they would immediately gasp as the ground beneath them began moving in a series of waves, Ryosuke nearly falling flat on his butt before managing to catch himself just before he actually could.

Genma however, was not that lucky.

He would scowl as he would stand up, eyes narrowed at a smug looking Kakashi as he would rub his butt before shooting an exasperated look at Ryosuke. "Your friend is too smug for his own good. I know I'm the one who kind of pushed you to be friends with him to begin with, but that kid does not know how to relax. He takes everything way too seriously." It turned out that because of that trait he was named the winner of the contest, being gifted a special kunai as a result and as the contest would end the two friends would make their way away from the crowd with the intention of going to get the promised dumplings when a call of their names would cause them to stop as they turned around to find Rin Nohara running towards the both of them.

That was strange.

"Hey, you two! We're going to meet at the training grounds to play kick the can! I saw you both at the contest and I thought I would see if you wanted to play with us today?" The girl was far too sweet and cute, something that made Ryosuke's gaze soften before he would gift her a soft smile, golden-eyes sparkling with mirth at being invited to play with them.

"It's very kind of you to invite us, Nohara-san but we were just on our way to-"

"Why don't you go ahead and go with her Ryo? I'm kind of worn out from today. We can always go and get dumplings together another time. You still owe me for coming with you." He would look up at Genma's smile before gifting his friend a smile in return watching as he would walk off before gasping as his arm was immediately taken into Rin's hand before she would tug him over to where a group of children were already waiting for them.

"I didn't manage to get Genma to agree but I did manage to get Ryosuke to come along everyone!" He would smile shyly at the other children who returned his smile as they would all surround him, seemingly eager to get to know the shy boy who was always seen around Genma before the children would clear the way as Kakashi made his way over to them as well.

"I never thought she would get you to agree to come and play as well, especially since I knew Genma would never agree to come. You two are always together so I didn't think you would be willing to come without him. I am glad that I was wrong though." He would give him what he assumed was a smile, something that Ryosuke would return before Obito would come running to the grounds saying something about helping an old man before he would trail off as he would see both Kakashi and Ryosuke standing there among the other children.

"What are those two doing here?" He would ask in disbelief before Rin would explain that they had come here to play with them. It turned out that they were going to play a game called Kick The Can and Obito was going to be it. Obito had made short work of capturing all of them and had been ready to start looking for Kakashi when Kakashi would appear behind him, stating that saving his friends no matter what was his ninja way before he would send the can flying in the air much to Obito's horror as he was forced to capture everyone again only for Kakashi to manage to kick the can once again.

Needless to say, Obito had been it the entire time.

* * *

Obito would sit on the ground sulking as everyone praised Kakashi before teasing him for having forced to be the chaser the entire time, something that made Ryosuke smile down at the sulking boy before he would speak up. "Still it was pretty impressive I think. He chased and caught us all every single time without complaining or giving up. Even if he wasn't able to capture Kakashi that was still pretty impressive, right?" He would smile at the surprised look on Obito's face before watching as the other children's parents started arriving to pick up their children and as Kakashi's father would arrive, Kakashi would run towards him, speaking with him for a moment before running back over towards Ryosuke and Obito.

"Ryosuke come on. We're going to walk you home!" He would blink in confusion before looking down at the wistful look on Obito's face, brow furrowing slightly before he would turn back to Kakashi with a smile.

"Thank you, Kakashi but I think I'm going to walk with Obito today if that is okay? I promise I will walk home with you next time." He would ignore the surprised look on both of the boys' faces before smiling at Obito. "Are you ready?" When the boy would nod he would help him up before bidding the stunned Kakashi and Sakumo farewell as he would walk the boy back to the Uchiha compound, smiling at the scowl that was on his face.

"You didn't need to do that you know. I could have come home by myself and you could have walked with Kakashi. He is your friend after all." That was enough to make Ryosuke hum in agreement before that golden gaze would turn to Obito in something akin to amusement as he contemplated his words for the longest of moments before finally speaking.

"I know that I did not need to, but Kakashi has his father and you didn't have anyone so I thought it would be nice if we kept each other company on the way home. Besides, Kakashi lives on the other side of town and I don't live too far away from the Uchiha compound so I thought it would be fine. I'm not bothering you am I?" The scowl on Obito's face would lessen before he would simply sigh as he would simply stare ahead. "Besides. I wanted to tell you that I thought that you deserved to win that competition." Obito's gaze would snap at him in disbelief that he would say such a thing before Ryosuke would smile.

"I know how difficult it is to control fire because of my Kekkei Genkai. While Kakashi did something incredible and I understand why they gave him the win, I know how much control it takes to morph fire into something small and safe like that. It was really impressive as was the fact that you chased after all of us all afternoon without complaining once. You're going to be a great ninja someday, Obito. I can already tell and I hope that one day we can really become friends. I would love to have such a great ninja as a friend." He would grin at the surprised expression on the Uchiha's face before chuckling softly as they reached the gate to the Uchiha compound. "It seems as though this is where we part ways. Good night Obito!"

With that said he would run to his own home, a feeling of excitement building up in his stomach as he couldn't wait to tell his parents of how his day had turned out. They would both be so proud to hear about the fact that he had stepped out of his comfort zone and had even tried to make friends other than Kakashi and Genma. It had honestly been one of the best days he had had in a long time.

He just hoped that things would always stay this way.


	2. Chapter 2

Golden eyes would watch from a distance as the boy known as Might Guy would run past everyone with a banner attached to him stating that if he was able to run five hundred laps that he would be accepted into the academy as an alternative, something that made that gaze soften with something akin to pity especially as he heard the whispers of gossip that were floating around that poor boy. He would hear the laughter and as Ebisu would state that he knew about him because he could not perform any ninjutsu or genjutsu and the only thing he had going for him was taijutsu, his frown would deepen.

Then Genma would say that it looked like he was about to collapse and as he stumbled forward ready to collapse, Ryosuke would move forward quickly, catching him before he could actually hit the ground and as that surprised boy would look up at him he would only gift him a small smile. "Don't listen to them. I think what you're doing is admirable. Keep working hard and I'm positive that you will join us all at the academy in no time at all. Don't give up because I'm cheering for you, okay?" He would steady the boy, watching with a smile as he would nod before beginning to walk away and once the boy was completely gone he would turn an unimpressed look onto Genma and Ebisu who would immediately hold up their hands in surrender.

"I can't believe you would gossip about him like that when he was standing right there. Especially you Genma, you're better than that." He would sigh softly before turning and walking away from the two of them with his head hanging slightly as a feeling of disappointment welled up in his chest due to the actions of his best friend, or rather the inaction. There had once been a time where Genma had been the one to stand up for the person being bullied, a time where he had gone out of his way to befriend the strange boy whose parents were not born and raised in Konoha.

He hoped that Genma had not changed.

"Ryosuke." His gaze would lift and meet the intense gaze of Kakashi as he would look him over, that one visible eye narrowing slightly when he saw that Ryosuke seemed to be upset by something. "What happened? Why are you upset? Did someone try doing something to you?" Ryosuke would sigh softly upon hearing the questions, knowing that Kakashi was about five seconds away from heading back from the direction he came in to question everyone about what had happened and despite his irritation at everyone for mocking Guy, he knew damn well he was not about to let Kakashi scare the crap out of everyone.

No matter how amusing it may have been to watch.

"I am fine Kakashi. I just got irritated with everyone because of how they were treating Guy. He tries so hard and yet all, everyone seems to be focused on is the fact that he can't do ninjutsu or genjutsu. I can't help but feel bad for him because I know what it feels like to have everyone talk about you behind your back so I can't help but relate to him. I was all alone before Genma decided to be my friend and it does hurt. I don't think anyone deserves that pain and I would like to be his friend if I can because I don't think anyone deserves to be isolated just because they are different." He would smile weakly at Kakashi who would stare at him blankly for the longest of moments before sighing as his gaze would soften the slightest bit.

"You really are too kind for your own good Ryosuke. Worry about yourself instead of always focusing on others. It will do you good to be more selfish." He would turn on his heel before starting to walk away, stopping after a few feet to turn and look back at the black haired boy. "Come on. Let's go and get dango. I'll treat you this time so stop pouting and smile again already." Ryosuke would look at the other boy with a surprised look before his brow would furrow slightly.

"But Kakashi, you don't like sweets."

"I don't mind the **goma*** or the grilled dango. Besides, even if I don't like them I know that you do so I can endure them this once." Ryosuke could not help the smile that would cross his lips as he would quickly move to catch up with his friend, smiling warmly at the other boy as his gaze would soften once again, a warm feeling slowly flowing through his body before settling in his chest.

"Thank you, Kakashi. Next time we'll go to eat I'll treat you to something you like in return."

"I'll hold you to that."

* * *

The two of them would make their way back from the dango shop a few hours later, speaking quietly to one another before the sound of a scuffle would manage to capture their attention. Ryosuke would frown slightly before moving away from Kakashi to look down an alleyway, eyes widening as he watched Guy yell at two chunin for saying bad things about his father. He would watch as the men would call Guy's father stupid before Guy would become enraged, attempting to charge at them while saying he would punch them five times before one of the men would hold him back by placing a head on his forehead while the other one would continue to insult his father.

These men were needlessly cruel.

Golden eyes would narrow as his grip on the bag filled with the sweets would tighten, knuckles growing white as Guy would become even more enraged while saying he would punch them ten times only for the men to laugh and say they would punch Guy twenty times. He would watch as they would start beating up guy before the bag of sweets would fall to the ground as he would take a few steps towards the three ninjas only to stop when an arm shot out in front of him, holding the bag of sweets before pushing them into his arms.

"I'll handle this. You tend to him." He would watch as Kakashi would run at the two Chunin, attacking them and managing to take the both of them down in less than a minute while Ryosuke would help Guy up before checking him over with a furrowed brow as bright golden eyes would narrow in disgust at the two Chunin who lay beaten on the ground. Then Kakashi would turn to fix his own look of disbelief on Guy before speaking. "I cannot believe that you could not return a single punch after what they said about your father." That was enough to make those golden eyes shoot to Kakashi with a look of disbelief before they would narrow.

"Kakashi! That was uncalled for. He's already hurt there is no need to insult or belittle him." He would notice the way the boy would tense up in his hold and as he helped him stand he would fix the boy with an apologetic look. "I am sorry about him. He really isn't good with people it seems. Please disregard what he just said." He would frown softly at him before his gaze would soften as he would open the bag, pulling out a single piece of Wagashi, offering the sweet to Guy with a small smile. "Here. I don't know if you like sweets or not but my father always says that a little bit of sweetness is enough to make even the most bitter of days bearable. I know it's not much but I do hope that it helps, Guy."

"Ryosuke, come on. We need to go." Ryosuke would falter for a moment before gifting Guy another small smile as he would go to join Kakashi, gifting Guy one last look over his shoulder before they would leave the boy behind. "You really are too soft. I don't know why you keep flocking to him when you're only setting yourself up for disappointment in the long run Ryosuke. He's never going to get accepted into the academy without knowing ninjutsu or genjutsu." Kakashi would speak softly, that dark gaze never once leaving the form of his friend, his brow furrowing when he saw the smile that crossed his lips.

"You're wrong Kakashi. You should never underestimate anyone because I already know he's going to make it. All he needs is someone who believes in him along with a little bit of hard work. He will make it. Wait and see. He will make it into the academy and then things will be even better than they are now."

Little did he know just how wrong he was.

* * *

It would be a few weeks later that word was spread around the village about the failure of a high ranked mission that Sakumo Hatake had been placed in charge of. The man had chosen to abandon the mission in order to save the life of his teammates and as a result, had been disgraced because of his actions. It seemed as though there was not a kind word to be said about the man, even from the people whose lives he saved and it was enough to break Ryosuke's heart.

So he did what he knew best.

With a large bag filled with a various assortment of sweets held securely in his hands, he would make his way to the opposite end of the village while humming quietly to himself and as he would reach their front door, his brow would furrow slightly as he saw various scrolls with unkind words directed towards Sakumo stuck to the door and it was with a scowl that he would set the bag of sweets down, ripping off those scrolls and tossing them to the side carelessly as he would call those cruel people all sorts of mean words in his mind before the clearing of a throat from behind him would cause him to immediately turn around as he met the tired and empty looking gaze of Sakumo Hatake who raised a single brow at him.

Oh, this looked bad.

"A-Ah. I saw all sorts of mean things written here and I didn't like them so I took them off! I hope you don't mind." Silence would greet him as a response before he would immediately turn to the bag of sweets he had, quickly picking it up before offering a surprised Sakumo the bag.

"Here! I know you're going through a difficult time right now because people don't understand just how amazing the thing you did was! But I'm not like anyone else. Neither are my mother and father! They said that you are a hero for what you did and I agree with them! So I brought you all sorts of sweets because my dad always says that a little bit of sugar can make even the most bitter of days better! So here are lots of sweets just for you! I hope they help you feel better!" Once again he was greeted by silence before a soft chuckle would leave the lips of the older man for a moment before he felt a strong hand moving to gently ruffle his hair.

"I remember you now. You're Ryosuke, my boy's dear friend. He mentioned that you had a strange love for sweets and that you believed sugar could solve just about anything. He also mentioned that you're a very sweet and caring child." He would trail off before staring at Ryosuke with an intense gaze that left him squirming slightly for a moment before he would speak again.

"I hoped that I would get the chance to speak with you sometime in the near future. I need to ask a huge favor of you, Ryosuke. I need you to make a promise to me that you can never break, do you think you can do that for me?" For a moment the black haired boy would simply stand there looking up at him, eyes narrowing slightly as his stomach began to stir in a very strange way.

"What is it?"

"I am going to be going away for a very long mission soon. I was worried about leaving Kakashi by himself but now that I know that he has such a sweet friend by his side, I don't feel as worried. I need you to swear to me that you will stay by his side no matter what happens. Be his light when all he sees is darkness and make him smile when all he wants to do is cry. Don't let him give up and please, show him that no matter how hard life gets for him that it is worth fighting. Can you promise me that Ryosuke?" As the man would hold out his pinky for Ryosuke, the boy would simply stare at it for a long moment before his own would reach out and his pinky would link with Sakumo's much bigger one.

"I promise I'll always be his friend and I'll be by his side no matter what happens!" It should have been one of the easiest promises he ever made, even as a child and yet, something did not feel right about the whole exchange. Ryosuke would spend the rest of the night deeply troubled by something he could not explain and as it suddenly began to rain out of nowhere, tears would well up in his eyes as a sharp ache would resonate within his heart.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

It would not be until the next day when he went to the academy that he should have listened to his gut feeling the entire night. Sakumo Hatake had killed himself the night before, right after he had left and Kakashi had been the person to find his father's body. The minute that he had found out, his heart had fallen into his stomach and he had quickly left the academy, ditching class as he ran all the way to Kakashi's house, pounding on the door until Kakashi answered and the minute that he saw that dull gaze his own eyes would widen before filling with tears.

He would immediately wrap his arms around the younger boy, nearly crushing him to his chest while whispering soft words of comfort along with apologies as he did his best to suppress the tears he wanted to so badly let fall as Kakashi simply allowed himself to be held. While he was angry at Sakumo for leaving Kakashi all alone in the world and while he felt betrayed, feeling as though the man had manipulated him into agreeing to watch over Kakashi so he could die with no regrets, a promise was a promise.

He would stay by Kakashi's side until the day he died, no matter what.

He only hoped that it would be enough.

* * *

Goma - A type of dango that has been coated with a paste that is made with black sesame seeds. It usually tends to be a bit more on the salty side than sweet.


	3. Chapter 3

Kakashi had changed.

It became obvious that the boy had hardened his heart after his father's death as he pushed away all of the people he had once considered to be friends with the only exception being Ryosuke, much to the golden-eyed boy's confusion. While he was happy that he was being allowed to stay by Kakashi's side, he did not understand what made him different from the others that Kakashi continued to push away.

Then again, he supposed he had better take his luck for granted.

While he was still incredibly upset with Sakumo over what he had done, he knew that Kakashi needed someone to be there for him and so he would suck up any negative feelings that he had for Sakumo and would toss them to the side for Kakashi's sake. Kakashi was a dear friend and needed someone to be there for him and by some miracle, it seemed as though fate selected him to be that person. He would do whatever it took to ensure that the stubborn boy did not end up alone and making the same mistake that Sakumo did and with that thought running through his mind, a sigh would immediately leave him as he would run a single hand through his wavy black hair before sighing once again.

He already had a feeling that he was about to be tested.

* * *

It was always said that Kakashi was a genius and that fact was proven to be true when Kakashi turned his attention to his studies, managing to graduate from the academy a year later and becoming a genin at the age of six while Ryosuke managed to graduate a year after Kakashi, becoming a genin at the age of nine. Though much to his disappointment he had not been placed on the same team as Genma or even Ebisu.

Instead, he got Hiroto Hyuga and Enn Asakura with Ai Koyabashi as their Jonin sensei.

"Now then you three. You will be responsible for working with each other as a three-man team from this point on with my supervision. I suppose that since we will be working with each other closely from now on that we should take the time to get to know one another. Start with your likes, dislikes. Dreams for the future and the like." Ai's soft voice would fill the air as she would smirk at her three genins, watching as they would look at each other with uncertainty. "Since none of you seem eager to start I guess I'll have to choose someone. Hyuga, you first. Then you with the gold eyes. Followed by you, with the dreamy look on your face."

A single sigh filled the air before the Hyuga boy finally spoke to them, pale eyes fixed on his teammates with an expression of indifference. "I am Hiroto Hyuga. My likes are training and sparring. I don't like laziness or tardiness so I expect that you two will keep that in mind and won't keep me waiting. My dream for the future is to become one of the most powerful ninjas in this village so I can make the Hyuga clan proud." Ryosuke smiled warmly at his teammate before their attention would turn to him, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully before speaking.

"My name is Ryosuke Yotsuki. My likes are training, eating dango with my friends and reading books. I do not like bullies or people who put others down to make themselves feel better about themselves. My dream is to become a powerful ninja so I can guard the Hokage just like Akira-sama does." There was a scoff from his sensei that he chose to ignore as he smiled at the two teammates before bowing his head slightly. "I hope we can all get along and become good friends."

Then it was Enn's turn.

"Mmm, my turn already? Let's see. I like writing poetry and songs. I like dango as well. I do not like people who are loud or people who take things too seriously. My dream is simple, I want to become a powerful ninja worthy of becoming Hokage. I want to protect the village that I love as well as the people who have become precious to me. I hope that the two of you will support me in reaching my dream." That dreamy smile became warmer as that violet gaze focused on the two who were to become his teammates and for the longest of moments, he was rendered speechless as he was lost in his admiration for the older boys on his team.

They were something else.

"Nicely done you three. I'm going to go ahead and end things here and now. You three are dismissed for now, though I would strongly advise you three to get some rest. Our first assignment is going to be bright and early tomorrow morning. You will meet me at the training grounds that are closest to the Hot Springs at Five. Do not be late." It was with that warning the long-haired female would leave the three of them completely alone, sitting there in silence as they looked at each other.

"You heard our sensei. Hurry home and get some rest you two. I expect you both at least be on time, if not early. Especially you Ryosuke. You are younger than both of us by a few years which means you had to have been talented enough to be allowed to graduate early. Do not disappoint me." That intimidating pale gaze was enough to make Ryosuke smile roughly as he immediately held up his hands in surrender, ready to say whatever it took to appease the stern Hyuga male only for Enn to come to his defense.

"Hey, hey. Relax Hiroto. All of that frowning is only going to make your handsome face age faster. Smile a bit more, laugh a bit more. Life is too short to always be so stern and serious." Ryosuke watched as the Hyuga male immediately turned an interesting shade of pink and began to stutter upon hearing the words that left Enn's mouth before turning on his heel as he muttered something about the Asakura male being an idiot as he left the two of them alone.

How very interesting.

* * *

"And then Enn came to my defense as he told Hiroto to stop being so serious. Other than that, I think we will get along well which is a relief. You are so lucky you got to be placed on a team with Rin and Obito. You already knew them so you had nothing to be scared of." Ryosuke pouted for a moment as he turned to look at his friend who had been listening dutifully to his story before he finally spoke, giving his own input on the events that Ryosuke had shared with him.

"I would have much rather been on a team with you. It's a shame that you were not ready to graduate last year. Being on a team with you would have been preferable since I've known you for a while now. We got along well and we would work well together, I think. Plus, you are not annoying like Obito is. He is always late and always has some sort of stupid excuse instead of just being honest and accepting responsibility for himself like any good ninja would. Rin is a medic which I suppose can be useful if someone is good at it. But as of now, she is a liability which is a pain." Kakashi trailed off with a sigh as he turned his gaze to his longtime friend who was looking at him with a look of complete disapproval.

"Kakashi. They were your friends at one point, the same as me. You should not be so mean to them. They care about you so you should at least try to be nicer to them." Kakashi fell silent upon hearing Ryosuke's words, that dark gaze falling onto the table where the two of them sat as he thought about the older boy's words before speaking.

"I don't want to be like him. He valued his friends and in the end, he was disgraced for saving them over completing the mission he was given. What good are friends when they won't even defend you or stand by your side? I will never be like him. I will not repeat his mistakes. I will be a good shinobi and live my life by the rules as any decent ninja should." Ryosuke's gaze narrowed upon hearing those words before he leaned forward, hand grasping onto Kakashi's and squeezing it tightly.

"Your dad was a good person Kakashi. He was a hero for saving his comrades, the people that should be ashamed are the ones that abandoned him after he saved their lives. I will admit that he was a coward for leaving you all alone, but I will make sure that you never repeat that mistake. Kakashi. Please, please. Don't turn cold or bitter, because you're better than that." Those gold eyes stared deeply into Kakashi's as the nine-year-old tried so hard to convince his younger friend to stop shutting everyone out.

"Ryosuke, you're too nice. You should stop worrying so much about me and focus more on making your dreams come true. You want to be a strong ninja so you should focus on that and building up your bonds with your team. Forget about me and whatever stupid promise my dad tricked you into making. You and I are meant to go-"

"Kakashi I swear if you try to finish what you were saying I'm going to set your pants on fire with my lava release and you of all people know that I still don't have perfect control over it so who knows what else I might burn in the process." Ryosuke's statement was enough to make that visible eye widen as he saw that annoyed smile coming across his friend's face.

"Ryosuke I was just-"

"Trying to get rid of me? After everything you put me through back in the academy? You've got some nerve."

"No Ryo-"

"If anyone should be the one to end our friendship after everything you have put me through, it's going to be me Kakashi."

"Ryosuke-"

"Kakashi?"

"Hmm?"

"If you're going to try and give me some speech on why we shouldn't be friends anymore, I would just stay quiet because you're just going to end up making me mad." He smiled once again at his childhood friend, that smile becoming forced as those golden eyes never once left those widening blacks before his gaze finally softened the slightest amount as he sighed softly.

"You deserve better than me. That is all I was trying to say Ryosuke. I..will never be the sort of friend that someone like you deserves. I will not repeat my father's mistake. Not even for your sake." For a moment all would fall silent between the two boys as they stared at each other for a long moment before Ryosuke smiled sadly at the other boy.

"Would you let me die if it came down to either saving my life or completing your mission?" As Kakashi remained silent, his little heart would break within his chest and for a moment that smile faltered before becoming forced as he averted his gaze.

"I suppose then, I'll just have to avoid ever putting myself in the situation where you'll ever have to choose. It was a good thing that we were not placed on the same team then. I have less of a chance of messing up and dying that way."

"Ryosuke-"

"Kakashi. There is nothing that you can say that will make me turn away from you. You are my precious friend and I made a promise that I would stay by your side no matter what happens. I intend to keep that promise. You can hurt me. You can try pushing me away. You can use me until I have nothing left to give you but I will always be here to guide you through the dark. I promise that I will never betray you no matter how much you may deserve it from me." He smiled warmly at Kakashi's surprised expression before his eyes fell shut for a moment, the nine-year-old feeling more tired than he had felt in a very long time as he would continue to bare his heart for his friend.

"I'll always be here for you no matter what. So please, if there's one thing you ever do for me, don't try ending our friendship again okay? All you are doing is hurting both of us and there's no need for that." His eyes widened as the white-haired boy would launch himself up and wrapped his arms around him for a change, gold eyes softening as his arms would move to return the embrace.

It was the first time Kakashi had ever hugged him on his own.

"I don't deserve you as a friend." The black-haired boy's brow furrowed before he would chuckle softly as he gently cuddled the other boy.

"Everyone deserves a friend Kakashi. Especially you. I don't know why you're trying to isolate yourself when you've done nothing wrong but I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be here for you Kakashi. Whether you want me to be or not."

Little did he know just how true that statement was.


	4. Chapter 4

He was starting to believe that maybe he was not meant to be a ninja after all.

It was funny how a child could be considered gifted in the academy, praised for their intelligence and their supposed talent only to struggle once they finally entered the real world. While he was doing decent when it came to completing the missions his team was assigned, managing to complete his part of the assignment without holding his teammates back, he was not advancing as much as he would have liked and when it all came down to it, he couldn't help but compare himself to his teammates.

Enn and Hiroto were far more skilled than he was.

At times it seemed as though the only thing he had going for him was the Kekkei Genkai that lay within him and even then, his trouble when it came to controlling his Lava release made him feel less than confident in his worth as a ninja more often than not. It was frustrating to watch as his teammates grew into their own set of skills, growing more powerful with each passing day while he felt like he was being left behind by them.

Then there was Kakashi.

Ever since the younger boy had hugged him a few days before, things between the two of them had been different to say the very least. While Kakashi was no longer trying to push him away and end their friendship, there was a sort of awkwardness that came from the younger boy, almost as though the entire incident was something that he wished to forget. As a result, Ryosuke had chosen to bite his tongue and remain silent about what had happened, deciding to leave it in the past until Kakashi felt comfortable enough to bring it up with him.

He knew that Kakashi wasn't good with his emotions, and he didn't want to make him even more uncomfortable than he probably already was.

That may have played a part in the reason he had chosen to seek out Genma for this particular problem of his and upon finding him training with his team, he immediately turned around to start heading to his home not wanting to interrupt Genma's time training with Chōza, and his two teammates. He managed to take a total of two steps away before he heard someone calling his name, turning around to be greeted face to face with an eager Guy.

"I was hoping that it was you Ryosuke! If you're here then that means Kakashi has to be around here as well! I've been training so hard lately so I can challenge him again and win! We're tied right now, you know? But we're still in the prime time of youth so there is plenty of time for me to get ahead!" Ryosuke's golden gaze simply stared at the energetic boy with a stunned look for the longest of moments before what Guy had said finally registered in his brain and his cheeks would immediately darken.

"Kakashi and I a-are not a-always together Guy! I-I don't know why everyone always says that!" Ryosuke's gaze narrowed as he heard the snickering coming from Genma and Ebisu, lips forming a small pout as he averted his gaze for a long moment before sighing. "Kakashi is not here. I think he's with his team right now. I actually came to speak with Genma but I saw that you guys were training and did not want to interrupt-"

"-Ah! I see! Thanks for letting me know where Kakashi is! I'll see you later Ryosuke!" Ryosuke was left stunned as the boy would sprint off in the direction of the other training grounds, shouting out something about youth and beating Kakashi before that gold gaze turned to the remaining members of Team Chōza with a nervous smile.

"Is he always like that? Or was that all my fault? If so I'm so sorry-" He was silenced as he felt a large hand resting on his head for a moment before his hair was ruffled affectionately and as that gaze lifted, he was greeted by the sight of a smiling Chōza who immediately told him not to worry about Guy. It seemed as though the hyperactive boy getting distracted by someone was not exactly a rare occurrence and as it turned out, he was just about ready to end their training session soon.

He didn't know if he was being honest or simply trying to make him feel better about potentially ruining his training session, but he would gift the older man a grateful smile nonetheless before turning his attention to Genma. "I was wondering if you would like to come to the dango shop with me Genma. My treat?" He would give his friend a nervous smile before sighing in relief as he agreed to come with him, bidding his teammate and sensei goodbye before following him to the dango shop that the two of them used to frequently visit back when they had been in the academy.

It had been a while since they had returned.

* * *

The moment they were served their dumplings and tea, Ryosuke's gaze would immediately soften as he reached for one only for his hand to still as Genma spoke. "So are you going to tell me what's bothering you? Or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" The black haired boy would pause for a moment, honestly stunned as he gifted his best friend a look of complete disbelief, something that made Genma snort before gifting him a smirk.

"We're best friends, aren't we? I'd have to be stupid to not realize when something is bothering you. Now spill it so we can eat our dumplings in peace without whatever this is hanging over our heads." For a moment the younger boy simply stared at him like a deer caught by a predator before sighing once again, contemplating how he should bring up what was troubling him to Genma, though, the second his gaze met that warm brown gaze, he couldn't help himself.

Maybe simply asking would be the best option.

"Genma, do you think I have what it takes to be a ninja?" He could see his question had managed to completely take the older by surprise if the way that brown gaze widened was anything to go by and as he was greeted by silence, for a moment he would become completely disheartened only to see that his best friend was deep in thought as he observed him.

"I think you're very kind and gentle, which isn't the ideal temperament for a ninja to have. You're also very sensitive and easy to tease, but then again you're a lot younger than we are so I guess that's to be expected. You are a talented guy Ryo. You didn't get into the academy early and graduate early for no reason you know. Why do you ask? Is someone picking on you?" The way that Genma's tone immediately changed from relaxed to annoyed at the mere thought that someone might be picking on him was enough to make the younger boy smile slightly for a moment, feeling touched that Genma still cared about his well being before his gaze would widen as the boy made to stand up, determined to find his supposed bully.

"Point him out to me and I'll put an end to it. It's not one of your teammates, is it? I bet it's that jerk Hiroto, he's always had a massive stick shoved up his a-"

"Genma! No one's picking on me! Hiroto is a bit stern but Enn manages to keep him distracted for the most part so he does not focus on me. It's kind of weird but Hiroto seems to always be watching Enn for some reason, I wonder why." His gaze immediately widened as Genma started choking on his tea the moment he mentioned Hiroto and Enn, immediately moving to his side only to relax as Genma managed to clear his throat.

"Are you okay? Why did you start choking when I mentioned the fact that Hiroto always seems to be watching Enn?"

"I.." Genma would pause for a moment as he really took in Ryosuke's curious expression before swallowing roughly as he looked away. "I'll tell you when you're older. You're too young to be hearing about this crap. Enjoy your innocence while you still have it. A-Anyways. Why did you ask me if I thought you were capable of being a ninja if no one is picking on you then?" Ryosuke's gaze narrowed at the older boy once again, thinking carefully about whether or not he would be able to convince his friend to tell him about why he had reacted the way he had before deciding to give up and bug him on another occasion.

Maybe he would even ask Enn, he would know and he wouldn't try to avoid the question like Genma was doing.

"I was just thinking is all. It seems as though everyone is much more talented than I am. Enn is already starting to practice Kenjutsu and Ai-sensei says that he's one of the best that she's seen in a very long time. Hiroto is being trained by a medic by one of the medical ninjas from the hospital in his spare time and he's getting really good at it too. He can already heal small injuries and everything. They make me feel like a kid and even if they don't say it, I know that I'm only going to hold them back."

They deserved someone better on their team than him.

"First of all, you are a kid Ryosuke. You're only nine and the rest of us are eleven with an exception for Kakashi and his team and you can't compare yourself to him because he's a genius. You are talented Ryo, you can't keep doubting yourself. You have to trust in your abilities and more importantly, you have to keep trying. Your Lava release is powerful but it's also very dangerous. You told me that even your father told you that you're doing a great job controlling it despite how young you are. You should be proud of that instead of bringing yourself down the way you always do."

Ryosuke's gaze would lift as he listened to his friend's words, frowning softly as he was scolded before speaking once again. "I'm just so worried that I will hold them back. I don't want to be a problem for them Genma and if I'm not a good ninja, I feel like I shouldn't kid myself."

"If you are worried about holding them back then let's train. I'll help you and we will keep training until you are confident in your skills. Between you and me, I don't think you were placed on a very good team. If Enn is specializing in Kenjutsu, which is the Koyabashi clans specialty as well, by the way, Ai-sensei will be too busy training Enn to have time to train you and Hiroto. As much as I hate to say it, Hiroto was smart to look for help outside of your team. I'll even talk to Chōza-sensei to see if you can train with us. Guy's pretty good with Taijutsu, Ebisu's good at ninjutsu while I'm pretty well balanced with everything. We'll be good for you."

He could not stop the smile that crossed his lips upon hearing his friend's words, happy that he cared enough to help him. "Maybe you could even ask Kakashi for help. I'm sure he'd be willing to help you too if for no other reason than the fact that you're one of the only people who are willing to still put up with him." The mere mention of his name was enough to make those eyes lower once again, the boy shrinking in on himself as he felt Genma's gaze on him before he heard the sigh.

"What did that idiot do this time?" The older boy sounded so unamused with Ryosuke's other friend that he could not help but gift him a small smile before telling him about everything that had happened between him and Kakashi, watching as Genma's irritation faded away before turning into something akin to amusement, the brown-haired boy trying his best to control his reaction before bursting into laughter much to Ryosuke's confusion.

"You both are hopeless. I know that you both are kids but it's so funny to hear you speak about stuff like this. Don't worry about that Ryo, like I said I'll tell you about this when you're older. Until then enjoy what little of a childhood you have left." Though Genma was going to tell everyone who would listen about what had happened between the two kids and let the others know that Ryosuke already had a little crush on Kakashi.

He could already tell that the two of them were going to end up together later on in life.

At least, he hoped they would.

* * *

As it turned out, Chōza was more than happy to allow him to train with his team after hearing how badly he was struggling with trying to keep up with his teammates. Little did he know that Ai was well known amongst her fellow shinobi for her lack of interest in having a genin team and that she had an even bigger lack of interest in teaching students who did not specialize in Kenjutsu the same way that she did.

It seemed as though both Hiroto and he truly were on their own.

Thankfully, he had a great friend in Genma.

Genma was one of the constant means of support for him, always willing to spar with him and help him whenever he needed. Ebisu, while initially hesitant to help an outsider with anything eventually managed to warm up to him, agreeing to help him with his ninjutsu and even Guy was willing to help with his taijutsu, nearly working him to death in the process.

Then there was Kakashi.

The moment that he found out that Ryosuke's team was little more than useless when it came towards helping Ryosuke getting any stronger and found out that he had been training with Genma and Guy's team, he had all but stolen him away with the intention of trying to help him as well. Though, their training easily surpassed any of the training he had experienced with any member of Team Chōza with the exception of Guy's taijutsu training.

Kakashi apparently did not like the fact that Ryosuke had not come to him at all for help and apparently, his childhood friend was capable of being very vindictive when the mood struck him. Whenever the two of them were not busy with missions or training, Ryosuke found himself being tutored by the boy genius who seemed to take a sadistic sort of pleasure in working Ryosuke past the point of exhaustion.

Despite that, Ryosuke had noticed an improvement over the weeks of training.

Kakashi and Genma both helped him with his chakra control, something that was easily the thing he had the most trouble with. While he had not mastered it by any means, he was a lot better than he had been before and as a result of his training, he found that even his Lava Release was becoming easier for him to control. While it could still be a bit difficult for him to control it if he wasn't completely focused on maintaining his chakra, it was less unstable than it had been in the past.

He had even managed to master a technique his father had showed him to use as a means of defense and while he could only use it for a short amount of time because of how difficult it was to maintain, he knew that it would be of some serious help later on once he managed to become even more skilled with his chakra control later on!

He couldn't wait to use it!

* * *

It seemed as though he would be using the magma armor sooner than he had originally thought.

He had woken up early in the morning to a message from Ai-sensei, telling him to meet her along with Enn and Hiroto in their normal training grounds by the hot springs and once he had arrived, he had been surprised to find that he was for once the last person to arrive, meeting the stern glare from Hiroto with a sheepish smile before turning his attention back to the long-haired jonin as she began to speak.

"As you may or may not know, the hidden leaf holds exams twice a year for the Chunin Examinations. I have been busy training Enn and I have not had much time to focus on you two, Hiroto and Ryosuke and for that I am sorry." For once, the sadistic woman actually seemed to be somewhat apologetic, something that honestly surprised the young boy as he would stare up at his sensei, before listening as she continued to speak.

"That being said, I know that both of you have been training under other people. Ryosuke has been training with Chōza Akimichi's team while Hiroto has been training under the medics from the hospital along with receiving training from his own clansmen, so I am not worried about you three. As a result, I have recommended for you three to take the Chunin Exams. It is your choice of course, but I do believe that you all are ready. If you choose to abstain from the exams, there is always next year."

He could already feel Enn and Hiroto's gazes on his back and Ryosuke simply swallowed roughly as he accepted the forms, knowing that if he refused to take the exams that both of the boys on his team would hold it against him until they would have the chance to take the exams the following year.

It seemed as though he had no choice but to suck up his inner doubts and participate, whether he wanted to or not.

Oh, the joys of being a ninja.

* * *

**Chapter four is finally here! I'm sorry it took me so long to update! I was stricken with a heavy case of writer's block that had me struggling through this entire chapter! Nevertheless, I hope all of you guys enjoy it! On another note, I got a very good question from one of my reviewers who asked me if this story was going to follow canon or if it was going to diverge from it and I thought it would be a good idea to clarify.**

**The answer is while this story will follow some aspects of canon, there are certain aspects that will be changed as well to better fit in line with not only canon but also with the story I am trying to tell. While many important events and factors will, for the most part, unfold the same way as they did in canon, there will be a few circumstances in which Ryosuke's presence or actions will change the outcome of a few things, if that makes any sense.**

**I hope that answered your question! If you guys have any more of them for me or if you need me to clarify anything else, feel free to ask away! As long as it doesn't involve me giving away any spoilers for this or any of my other stories, I don't mind answering questions!**


	5. Chapter 5

A soft sigh left the boy as he shuffled through the halls of the academy along with his two teammates, nerves immediately flaring up the closer they got to the room where they were expected to start the exam and as the three of them entered the room, Ryosuke immediately shrank back as he felt all of the gazes that focused on him only to straighten when he felt a firm hand squeeze his shoulder. "Stand straight and do not cower. These fools are looking for a weak link to target. If you give them the impression that you are weak, they will target our team." Hiroto's stern voice spoke softly, causing the boy to swallow roughly before nodding in agreement, more scared of his own teammate than he was of the room full of strangers.

He had watched Hiroto wipe the floor with Enn too many times to not be frightened of him.

The three members of Team Ai managed to find themselves a comfortable little corner in the far right of the room, away from the majority of the crowd while waiting for the proctor to announce the beginning of the exams. It was a few moments later that a familiar voice managed to capture Ryosuke's attention, golden eyes turning to see that none other than Kakashi, Obito, and Rin had arrived. Immediately his gaze lit up as the boy began making his way towards the three, only to be stopped by a hand that yanked roughly on the back of his shirt. "Don't even think about it. They may be your friends at any other time but as of now, they are our enemies. We can't afford to act like children and play nice in these exams. That's how we will end up failing."

Ryosuke's gaze would move from his friends to fall upon Hiroto's stern features before giving in to the older's demands with a sigh, not noticing the confused looks he was sent from Team Minato in the process, who had seen everything. "Very well Hiroto. If that's what you think is best I will try my best to stay away from them during this contest." The sound of approval that came from the Hyuga did little to lift his spirits despite everything and the moment his back was turned he chanced a glance at his friends only to gift them a small wave and a sad smile.

He hoped they all did well.

Just as much as he hoped he would not have to fight against any of them in the near future.

* * *

It became very obvious to Ryosuke that the first portion of the exam was meant to test their ability to gather information. The minute he sat down and allowed himself to look over the questions, his eyes narrowed in something akin to disbelief before a sigh left him. There was a very good chance they believed that no one would be capable of answering these questions without cheating off of each other.

It was a good thing that he wasn't an ordinary student.

While he was far from the smartest in the academy, he had a knack for solving problems that he was always praised for. It took a bit longer than he would have liked to work out each and every single one of the problems but about a half-hour into the test he would set his pencil down with a satisfied expression before turning his paper over, gaze subtly darting around the room and the boy nearly falling out of his seat when he saw that Enn had fallen asleep.

Hiroto was going to kill him.

The boy was left panicking as he could feel that stern gaze even from across the room, knowing that Hiroto was likely watching both of them and was less than pleased that Enn was not taking this exam as seriously as he was. While he was sure that Hiroto liked Enn more than he let on, he also knew that the Hyuga had one hell of a temper and it seemed as though this time, Enn was going to be the one dealing with it.

He almost felt sorry for him.

* * *

It felt like hours had passed before they were told by the proctor that those who remained had the option to leave and fail the test this year only to retake it the following year before also being informed that if they chose to accept the final question and got it wrong, they would never be allowed to take the Chunin Exams again. Such a threat was enough to scare off a good portion of the teams that remained, leaving behind a much smaller number of participants, those that remained clearly ready to risk their chances in order to take the final question.

Then it was revealed that there was no final question.

The remaining participants would immediately protest only to be silenced when the proctor explained that it was necessary to weed out those who were not capable of handling the pressure of taking the supposed question. In the real world, there were going to be high-risk missions that they would be assigned and there would be missions they would not be able to avoid. It was important for a Chunin to have the ability to subtly gather information just as it was important for a Chunin to be able to see through deception and use their surroundings to their advantage in order to successfully complete their assigned mission.

No matter what the stakes were.

The information sank into Ryosuke's head as he swallowed roughly, gaze darting towards the sleeping Enn as they were released, being told to meet at training ground number forty-four in two day's time to continue on with the exams. He watched as Hiroto calmly rose from his seat on the other side of the room before wincing as the older boy watched Enn for all of a few seconds before the Hyuga would slam his hand down onto the desk, directly next to Enn's head causing the boy to immediately shoot up, falling out of his seat in the process while Hiroto scowled darkly at him.

"I cannot believe that you were careless enough to fall asleep in the middle of the exam! Falling asleep during our lessons back at the academy was one thing but your stupidity could have caused us all to fail Enn! I expected this sort of thing from Ryosuke, not from you! You're supposed to be the main one I rely on and yet, Ryosuke is proving to be a more reliable teammate than you are. What was the point of Ai-sensei tutoring you when you can't even stay awake during a simple test?!" The Hyuga's pale gaze would glare down at the sleepily blinking Enn, twitching as the boy merely yawned before speaking to Hiroto.

"Hiroto you really need to learn how to relax. You're cute and everything but your personality can be overbearing at times. It makes me not want to date you at all." Enn sighed as he ran a hand through his messy chestnut-colored hair as those violet eyes would blink sleepily up at the annoyed Hyuga. "Besides, we didn't fail, right? That's what matters. If it makes you feel any better I promise I'll take the exams more seriously from this point on. Just stop with the scolding alright? Ryo and I won't let you down. We know how much this means to you. Right, Ryo?"

Upon hearing his name called, Ryosuke sighed as he made his way over to his teammates before interjecting. "He's right Hiroto. We haven't given you a reason to doubt us yet, right? Have faith in us as your teammates. We're a team for a reason, so as long as we work together things will be fine." He nearly curled in on himself as that intense gaze directed itself at him, confidence in himself shaken for a long moment as he heard a sigh leaving Hiroto's mouth before a somewhat amused look appeared in those pale eyes.

"Not only is Ryosuke more reliable than you, Enn. He's smarter and more mature than you are too. Instead of setting an example for him, you really should try taking after him more. It would do you a lot of good." Despite his words, the Hyuga boy appeared calmer and more relaxed than he had only moments before. "I suppose you are right though, Ryosuke. I have been a bit stern with you for no given reason. I suppose I thought our team would be at a disadvantage since you are so young. I should have given you a chance. I apologize." Ryosuke could only stare at the other boy in complete shock, for once at a complete loss while Enn quietly pouted at the thought of being compared to their younger teammate.

Neither one of them had been expecting to see Hiroto actually calm down and relax for once.

It was strange.

"Now come you two. If we are going to act like a team, we will need to train together. We have two days to prepare for the Forest Of Death and it has become clear that we need to practice our teamwork. Ai-sensei did not do the best job of ensuring that all of us are prepared, nor did she ensure that we can work together well as a team. We have two days to make up what we should have been doing all of this time. Let's hope that it will be enough."

If not, they were in trouble.

* * *

It was hours later that Ryosuke found himself walking home from the training grounds, body aching from the training that Hiroto had put the three of them through. While it was nice to be able to bond with his teammates after their initially strained relationship had led him to think that such a thing would be impossible before, there was also a part of him that thought that saving their energy for the second portion of the exams was probably a better idea. They were already at a huge disadvantage due to the fact that they did not really know how to work with one another outside of their low ranked missions as far as he was concerned, there was no need to tire themselves out and give themselves an even bigger disadvantage.

Either way, they were in trouble.

"Why are you upset?" The bored sounding voice that filled his senses immediately made Ryosuke jump, a yelp being torn from him as wide gold eyes took in the sight of a bemused Kakashi who stood directly next to him.

"W-When did you get here?! I was alone just a minute ago!"

"Rin and Obito wanted to celebrate us passing the first portion of the Chunin exams by going to the dumpling shop you always drag me to, as it turns out everyone except for your team seemed to have the same idea, so I managed to give them the slip and I saw you walking alone so I thought I would join you." The white-haired ninja's almost bored tone simply made him smile as he shook his head in exasperation, fixing his friend with an amused smile.

"You should have stayed with them. It is a celebration, after all, it will not kill you to play nice with someone other than your team and I for once Kakashi."

"It's easy for you to say. You didn't have Guy there challenging you to a dumpling eating contest every five seconds." The mental image was enough to make Ryosuke laugh softly, the image of Guy chasing Kakashi around the shop while demanding that he compete with him was enough to make him seriously regret the fact that he had not been there to watch everything as it unfolded, smiling brightly at the annoyed expression on his friend's face before faltering at his next words.

"Speaking of which, why weren't you three there? You never pass up dumplings and last I heard, your teammates both like sweets just as much as you do." The question was enough to make him hesitate for a moment as his gaze fell upon the ground, remembering Hiroto's words from earlier on. It was true that while he and Kakashi were friends, there was a chance that they could eventually fight against each other at some point in the exams and to let a potential opponent know about one of his team's greatest weaknesses would be nothing short of treason.

Even so, this was Kakashi.

Even if he doubted Kakashi's ability to hold back on him simply because they were friends, he had a feeling that Rin and Obito wouldn't be too eager to target him and perhaps, his team would be safe because of that reason. For a moment, he contemplated his choices before sighing once again as his gaze met Kakashi's. "You know how I had to ask you for help with my training? That was because Ai-sensei wasn't training me or Hiroto. She spent all of her time training only Enn when we weren't on missions. I spent most of my time training with Genma's team as well as training with you. Hiroto got training from the medical-nin at the hospital as well as getting help from within his own clan. We didn't go to the dumpling shop because we were trying to improve our ability to work as a team."

For a moment, all was silent between the two of them as the information sunk within Kakashi's head before the boy spoke once again. "So you three have absolutely no experience actually working together as a team outside of a few D ranked missions and you're taking the Chunin Exams? I don't know if your sensei is trying to get rid of the three of you or if she is that stupid." The boy trailed off for a moment, bored expression remaining on his face as he seemed to think about something before turning to face Ryosuke once again.

"Which brings up the point why you're even taking the exams in the first place. You're not stupid Ryosuke. You have to know that you're not ready to take them. So why? Did your team pressure you into this?" Ryosuke's gaze did not lift as he heard the question, swallowing roughly as he heard the sigh.

"People walk all over you because you let them. You need to learn to stand up for yourself. I have a feeling that something bad will happen to you three because of this. I will do my best to keep an eye out for you but I can't promise anything else. I have my hands full with Rin and Obito as it is."

"You do not have to watch out for us Kakashi. I'm sure we will do just fine on our own. However, I would appreciate it if you kept what I told you to yourself and please don't use it against us." There was a sigh that came from the silver-haired boy as he fell silent for the longest of moments, quietly contemplating what it was that he should do before speaking a moment later.

"I'll keep it to myself as a favor to you, but you will owe me something in return. By the way, I don't think you have anything to fear in regards to Obito and Rin. Both of them seem to like you just fine and I doubt that they will want to target your team regardless of if they know or not. The fact that you're a friend of mine seems to make them think that you are their friend as well for some reason." The boy grumbled quietly, cheeks burning beneath his mask before he sighed and held the bag that he was carrying out to Ryosuke, who looked at it in confusion for the longest moment.

"They're dango. The dumpling shop is offering this seasonal kind made with matcha and they're dusted with kinako. I saw them and thought that you would like them so I made sure to get you some of those along with the ones you usually get. I know it's probably not the best timing, but I wanted to make sure you didn't miss out on at least trying them." The boy looked at anything but Ryosuke as he explained himself, sincerely embarrassed at the thought of giving anything to Ryosuke, especially dumplings.

It was a moment later that Ryosuke gently took the bag from him and he chanced a look at him, cheeks darkening even further as he saw the appreciative smile that Ryosuke gave to him. "Thank you so much, Kakashi. It means the world that you thought of me despite everything that was going on around you. I truly appreciate it." He knew that it was silly that something as small as the fact that Kakashi had brought him dumplings could affect his day so much, but he couldn't help it!

It made him happy that Kakashi thought of him even though he had been surrounded by so many other people.

It made him feel as though his place in Kakashi's life was safe, that their bond was secure and the fact that someone as cold as Kakashi normally was had not only gone out of his way to talk to him when he noticed that he had been upset, but had even thought to bring him sweets because he had missed a gathering made him feel happier than he had been in a very long time and despite the changes that were sure to come their way, he found himself hoping that these small moments of peace could last just a little while longer.

Little did he know that those happy days would come to an end in the very near future.


End file.
